Eliza the Witch: Seasons Change
by ClaudeLv250
Summary: The misguided adventures of an apprentice witch and a teenage werewolf. Eliza moves in with her aunt Elinee in the Haunted Forest, and Garr is separated from his pack. Together, they may just inspire each other to see things in a new light.
1. Chapter 1: Her Arrival

**Eliza the Witch: Seasons Change**

- A New Testaments: Secret of Mana Sidestory -

_By ClaudeLv250_

**Introduction:** Eliza is a character featured in my collaboration story, New Testaments: Secret of Mana, and is the niece of Elinee from Secret of Mana. This story actually takes place 1 year before NTSoM, which would place it 9 years after the original game, but that's not important. This is just going to be a somewhat humorous look at two character's lives in the world of Secret of Mana. Eliza has to stay with her boring old aunt and entertain herself...which might cause all kinds of catastrophes. Garr is a young werewolf separated from his pack, and has a lot to learn about human culture and the world beyond his scope. Some events in the story link up to NTSoM, and most of the characters introduced here will be featured in main story, so this will actually serve a purpose in the long run.

**Disclaimer:** Secret of Mana, Seiken Densetsu, Elinee, and all SoM characters are the property of Square Enix. Eliza, Garr and any original characters are my creation unless otherwise specified.

**Summary:** What can I say? It's the misguided adventures of a witch-in-training and a teenage werewolf separated from his family. It takes place over the course of one year, eventually leading into New Testaments: Secret of Mana.

* * *

**Chapter 1: Her Arrival**

Seasons change, and with them, life. Or some lives, anyway, for one elderly woman who lived a now peaceful life in her castle secluded in the dark forest would have her usual routine shattered abruptly by a family member.

Elinee hummed to herself as she worked over an old stove, wooden chairs that were magically brought to life nonchalantly stepping to the tune in tandem. The aroma of cooking meat and vegetables wafted through the castle. She reached for a knife, which casually slid into her grasp, to cut more fresh vegetables when the sound of someone knocking against the castle doors rang against her eardrums. She let go of the knife (which guided itself back onto a rack) and strolled out of her kitchen and down the hall, with the chairs galloping behind like loyal pets.

The rapping against the door continued until Elinee reached for the large handle and tugged at one of the double doors. She was greeted with a gust of wind and rain, whipping against the brown shawl draped over her old shoulders. A figure quickly darted inside, in which the chairs agitatedly leaned forward as if to pounce on the stranger at any moment. The figure, wrapped in a soaking wet black cloak, revealed herself to the old woman struggling to close the door against the raging winds.

"Hey Auntie," she said as the black cloak fell on the floor in a clump over a concealed bag. She wore a pointed blue hat with a pink ribbon tied around it atop her long, blonde hair, one thick strand reaching down to her emerald eyes. A blue top and a short blue skirt, tied by a pink cloth wrapped around her waist and knotted like a large pink bow in the back complimented her body. On her feet were blue heels, and a short, transparent pink cape trailed down her back. Two blue armbands covered the length of her forearms.

Elinee's aged eyes squinted at the figure. "Eliza...?" Her wrinkled face mouthed in disbelief. A flash of lightning temporarily lit the corridor and the downpour of rain increased. Eliza dived in for an embrace, in which the house furniture replied by letting their guard down now that they felt the strange new woman wasn't a threat.

"Wha...what are you doing here?" Elinee could barely get out when she parted with her niece.

"Didn't they tell you...? You know...inheritance and stuff." Eliza said casually.

Elinee narrowed her eyes. Her younger sister had always despised her and hated the fact that she lived in such a large castle. She had always wanted to inherit the castle for herself, but had settled for having her only daughter eligible for inheriting now that she was 18. It was only a matter of time, she felt, until Elinee would conk out, and she sent her oblivious daughter Eliza to make sure that she was there for that moment. Being the manipulator that she was, she would most likely find a way to nonchalantly usurp the castle from her own daughter's possession if it ever came to it.

Eliza had taken it upon herself to look around the hallway. "I haven't been here in years," she said to herself. The furniture swayed with her every step, as if expecting her to jump at them at any moment.

"Mmmm, something smells good!" she exclaimed, picking up her old black cloak and bag and carelessly throwing it onto one of the chairs. She walked down the hallway in the direction of the kitchen, and had her heels not been clickity-clacking against the floor so loudly, she would have heard the sound of growling coming from the animated seats.

Elinee grabbed the cloak from off of the chair and smiled. '_A little bit of youth might be just what this old castle needed._'

* * *

"The Lower Lands are quite far away from your home," Elinee murmured. "What do you plan on doing while you're here?"

"I dunno!" Eliza replied, bubbly. "I never thought about owning my own castle. My mom literally dropped this 'inheritance' business on me just a couple of weeks ago." She raised a spoonful of soup and took a sip, having since settled down for dinner with Elinee. They sat at a small wooden table on two of the few chairs that weren't brought to life. "But honestly, I was thinking about practicing my magic."

Elinee gave her niece an incredulous look. "How exactly do you plan to do that? Mana's been gone since the Tree and the flying Fortress..."

Eliza set the spoon to the side and leaned forward, giving a shady look to three chairs sitting in the corner. If they had eyes, she would have sworn that they were staring. She then muttered under her breath, "...I managed to get a spark of magic working last week."

Elinee nearly toppled over. The chairs approached, fearing that something had happened to their master until Elinee straightened herself and whispered, "...how did you manage that?"

"I don't really know...I was bored one day, tried a spell, and got a little spark as a result. It wasn't what I was trying to do, so..." Eliza's carefree attitude didn't seem to reflect her understanding of the magnitude of this knowledge, Elinee thought. But the girl had no reason to lie.

"Goodness! Do you think it's possible that mana could be...returning?" Elinee asked, not even believing what she was saying herself.

"Well, I'm not a history buff," Eliza remarked, taking another spoonful of broth. "But...I have heard the saying that history repeats itself, and the world is never without mana for too long."

"Well, that's true," Elinee confirmed. "Various legends tell of cataclysmic events that resulted in the fluctuation of mana, but not once did things stay in a state of crisis. And if mana were to return, I wouldn't be able to sense it...since I lost my magical prowess years ago," the old woman said, her gaze becoming distant as she reflected on memories of the past.

"Speaking of magic, do you think you could...teach me some things?" Eliza asked innocently.

"What? You mean a few spells, do you?"

"No, I mean...teach me all you know about magic!" Eliza batted her lashes as she gave her aunt her most charming smile.

Elinee was taken aback, as were the chairs. "You want to become my apprentice? Eliza...why?"

"Magic runs in our family. We're all adept with it." Eliza stared down into her soup and sighed. "Well, everyone else in the family...I know a few things, but I've never had any kind of formal training. And though my mother would never admit it, you are the best in the family."

"I...I don't quite know about this just yet, Eliza." Elinee's old face was riddled with worry. Eliza was right about her magical roots, but Elinee wasn't quite sure if such a 'burden' needed to be passed on. After all, she had turned towards the dark side of magic before losing her powers completely.

The meal continued in silence shortly afterwards. Elinee had eventually stopped eating altogether and began to think long and hard about passing her knowledge down to her niece. Eliza on the other hand didn't want to nag her aunt in the case of ruining any chance of getting a 'yes' out of the old woman, and instead let her mind wander until the distant growl of thunder met her ears. It was familiar, and reminded her of the one thing she couldn't believe she forgot since she arrived.

"...where's Spikey?"

Elinee was caught off guard once again, this time overridden with dread. It was something she had not thought about at all – how to break the news of Spikey's death to Eliza, who had always been close to the monstrous tiger. It happened so long ago, and for such a selfish and petty reason too. She wasn't sure which would hit harder: the fact that Spikey was dead, or _why_ he died.

"Auntie? I haven't seen Spikey in years! I missed him so much...I'm almost ashamed that I forgot to see him since I've been here!"

The happy, longing voice of Eliza and her fond memories only made it that much worse. Elinee's voice cracked.

"Eliza...Spikey...he's..." Elinee croaked. She didn't want to ruin the mood of such a cheerful girl, but she could not tell her niece a lie. The chairs across the room teetered on their front legs, watching the drama unfold.

Elinee sighed and gave her answer as quickly and bluntly as possible. "Spikey is dead."

"Wait...what?" Eliza's face showed her obvious confusion. "Is this some kind of bad joke? Because it's not funny!"

"No, Eliza...I'm serious." Elinee knew she'd have to do some explaining. "It was about nine years ago when he died...it all happened so quickly, and I wasn't in my right state of mind..."

"You're lying! I would have known if Spikey had died!"

"I was so worried about keeping my powers by sapping the energy out of innocent people. Thanatos wanted the boy, Dyluck, and then they stormed the castle and..."

Eliza suddenly stood and slammed her hands onto the table's surface, knocking the chair out from under her in the process. "Who! Who stormed the castle! **Who killed Spikey!**"

"Please, Eliza, calm down..."

Eliza complied, only because her mind was still reeling from the news to really do anything else.

"As I was saying...," Elinee was finding the story harder to tell, and refused to make direct eye contact with Eliza. "...they stormed the castle and broke through all of my defenses. Instead of surrendering, I led them into Spikey's lair, hoping he'd stop them. I had no idea who they were. Who _he_ was."

"...Who?"

"Randi..." Elinee turned her head closed her eyes. She never talked about what happened that day. The memories of her life at that time were too painful to relive.

"Who's Randi?" Eliza's voice quivered. It seemed that the pain of Elinee's memories spread to others and continued to hurt even after occurring so long ago.

"He is the Mana Knight."

Eliza's face turned into one of horror as she gasped in response. "You...you sent Spikey to fight the _MANA KNIGHT_?" Her anger quickly returned, and she pointed accusingly at her aunt with misty eyes. "You sent Spikey to his executioner," she whispered harshly.

It stung Elinee to her core to have the truth told to her for the first time, by her niece no less. She had always known it; acknowledged it, to an extent. But it sounded and felt completely different to have someone else speak it. It hurt even more. She had loved the overgrown tiger herself. He was her own pet, after all.

"I didn't know who he was at the time..." Her excuse fell on deaf ears. Eliza had left the table, her face hidden behind the rim of the floppy hat atop her head, the clicking heels strapped to her feet leading her out of the dining room only by memory.

The chairs had scattered in a desperate attempt to avoid Eliza, some even running into walls. She ignored them as she passed by and out of the room. They seemingly turned to Elinee in response, and approached the old woman. Their wordless support seemed to somewhat help subside the anguish she felt.

The first day had gotten off to a glorious start.

* * *

Eliza cried that night.

She buried her face in the pillow on the soft bed that resided in the room she had called her own so many years ago. Her cloak and bag sat on one of the few chairs in the castle that wasn't animated. They had remained untouched since she had arrived.

Her aunt's words reverberated in her head, replaying the scene over and over again. Her mind eventually trailed to memories of Spikey. The first time she had met the looming tiger, she bawled like a baby until her aunt proved how gentle and caring the beast could be.

She chuckled at her young innocence and naivety. It reminded her of the present.

"Why am I crying?" She whispered to herself, rubbing her eyes. She was too old for that, and according to the story, Spikey had died so long ago. It wasn't for a good reason, but she tried to understand just how the circumstances led up to it.

She had heard that her aunt had been tempted by evil at that point and time. The changing atmosphere of the castle undoubtedly affected Spikey. Randi – the Mana Knight, must have felt the same way she did when she first saw Spikey. The tiger was no pushover. Randi most likely had to defend himself, and live on to achieve greater things...like fulfilling the prophecy and saving the world.

"Spikey, you fool..." Eliza muttered with a chuckle, "you should have stayed in your room." She was starting to come to terms with what happened, but it still hurt.

Outside of her door, Elinee listened with the faint hint of a smile on her wrinkled face. Maybe Eliza's stay would get better and more eventful. The weather outside had only temporarily coincided with the mood of the castle as the remnants of the last summer storm began to dissolve.

* * *

_**Some author's notes for you:**_

**_This story will be around 9 chapters in total. This is the introductory chapter (perhaps even a prologue in disguise!), the following chapters will be longer. Garr will be introduced in the next chapter._**

**_A little confession...I hadn't planned on posting this story until I had completely finished it. Right now it's about 42% complete. I didn't want people to think the New Testaments project was dead - far from it. The pitfalls of collaborative work is that if one person isn't pulling their weight then everyone feels it, so chapters 18 and 19 have been floating in an "in progress" status limbo for over a year now. Until a certain somebody gets their act together, you can enjoy this sidestory a little earlier than intended._**


	2. Chapter 2: Autumn's New Experiences

_**In this chapter, Eliza takes her first steps towards becoming an apprentice witch, and Garr & his pack are introduced.**_

* * *

_**Chapter 2: Autumn's New Experiences**_

The next day, for the most part, was largely uneventful. Eliza spent most of the time locked in her room. Though progress was made in coping with the loss of Spikey, Eliza seemed to still hold something against her aunt. Elinee didn't really blame her, and would let the girl open up on her own. Time does heal wounds, after all.

It was early the next morning when the unexpected happened. Elinee had taken a stroll through the castle and to Eliza's room to deliver the good news. She had decided to make Eliza her apprentice, though partly due to guilt. She wanted to cheer the girl up.

"Eliza...?" Elinee called through the open door. She stepped in to find a dim ray of light shining through the window and onto an empty bed. The Haunted Forest never did get much light.

Elinee let out a sigh of relief when she saw Eliza's old cloak and bag sitting on a chair. It meant that the girl hadn't decided to go home, at least.

The old woman began wandering through the castle in search of her niece, a task the furniture had decided to assist in. They searched through the countless rooms of the castle, until it dawned on Elinee just where Eliza could be after recent events. She blamed her old age for not realizing it sooner, and took off through the castle as fast as her aged legs could move, leaving the chairs to gallop behind her.

She swept through her personal office and climbed the chairs, circling a desk with an old, open book she intended on finishing but never got around to. She pushed open the double doors and stepped into a long, arena-like corridor. Despite being outdoors, the thick trees and fog in the skies blocked most sunlight, giving it the same dark appearance as the rest of the castle.

Three chairs skidded to a halt behind Elinee and peered around her at the girl kneeling in the center of the arena. It was the place Spikey had been known to dwell, and the same place where he was slain.

Elinee spoke softly, "Eliza?"

Eliza didn't move. "I was just...remembering some good times."

"Eliza, I've decided that...I'll teach you magic. You can be my apprentice."

Eliza turned around and beamed brightly. It was the brightest smile she had given since she had arrived. "Really! But...why?"

"You were right about magic being our heritage," Elinee's old voice whispered. "It is not only tradition, but the duty of this family to pass on its knowledge to the next generation."

"So...when can we start?" Eliza asked anxiously, raising off of the ground and brushing her clothing.

"Today, if you'd like."

* * *

"Well, where should we begin?"

Elinee had led Eliza to a partially empty room, with a table next to the single window. Sitting atop it was an old dusty clock that hadn't worked for years. The room was similar to countless others in the castle that were unused for decades. Eliza could only wonder about their original purpose.

Three chairs stood by the wall. Normally the young witch wouldn't like an audience, but she was too ecstatic at the moment to care.

"I want to see for myself if what you said about mana is true before we start," Elinee said. "What did you do?"

"I was trying to create a globe of lightning...I did it sometimes at home when I was a kid. Before mana disappeared."

"Ah," Elinee said knowingly. "Sylphid's domain. Well, go on," she said, egging her niece on.

Eliza held out her palm and concentrated on the task at hand. She wasn't trying a spell, but rather attempting to harness raw mana and shape it to her liking. More than a minute passed and nothing happened. It was becoming apparent that the chairs were bored when they began idly taping their front legs.

"Look!" Eliza cried triumphantly. The chairs danced in a startled frenzy. "It worked! I told you!"

"My goodness...!" Elinee was in as much shock as Eliza. She stared into the girl's palm as if the tiny spark held the answers to all of life's problems. The spark eventually fizzled and disappeared, to their dismay.

"What you said is true. I don't know how and I don't know why, but mana is returning!" The old woman exclaimed. Her wrinkled face was animated from the revelation.

Eliza was glad that her aunt wouldn't doubt her about mana anymore, but she wanted to continue. "What do you want me to do now? I tried moving things from a distance that same day."

"With wind magic?"

"No," Eliza said, brushing her bang away from her eyes. "It was easier if I didn't tap into that element."

"So it was neutral?" Elinee whispered, mostly to herself. "I've got it!" She quickly shuffled across the room towards the desk, leaving Eliza and the chairs puzzled by her actions and the gap she made between them. "Mimic what you did that day. I want to see for myself."

There was another moment of silence, excruciating mostly to the chairs. Eliza stood motionless, eyes closed. She concentrated on manipulating raw mana once again. It was a strange sensation as she felt her body linked with mana. A small, single fiber granting her access to what would have been immeasurable power. Though she couldn't see it, she could _feel_ the link. The small, thin connection that could be severed at any moment. And with a single abrupt motion, she threw her hands forward and pointed outstretched palms towards the target, releasing an invisible force that encompassed her body and barreled forth at her command.

The force, though unseen, could be felt and heard as a thorough _WOOOOSH _heading directly for Elinee. She braced herself for impact as quickly as she could, but only felt what the blast could muster after traveling across the entire room. It was still enough power to send the old shawl draped around her shoulders to flap against her back. The look of mild shock on her said enough, but was nothing in comparison to Eliza's.

"I didn't know I could do that!" She said, staring at her palms in amazement. "It's much stronger than when I tried before!"

"I see..." Elinee muttered, gathering herself together and strolling towards her niece. "Neutral mana is much easier to manipulate, at least for the moment. We may even be able to turn that into a spell."

"Really!"

"I don't see why not. We can take advantage of the situation an-" Elinee stopped mid sentence, garnering an odd glance from Eliza and the living furniture.

"What's wrong?"

A wry smile grew along her face. "I have an idea," Elinee said before racing out of the room, leaving Eliza and the furniture behind. Eliza turned towards the three chairs with a perplexed expression. One of the chair's seat cushions folded in response, which she guessed was some form of shrugging. After a long moment of silence, Elinee reentered with something grasped in her old hand.

Eliza raised a curious brow, "I hope you don't expect me to clean this whole castle by myself." She gestured to the broom at Elinee's side.

"Oh, no!" Elinee said with a chuckle. "You're going to learn how to ride it!"

Eliza mustered up one of the most incredulous glares she possibly could. She could feel her eyes burning into Elinee, but her aunt still held that simple, warm smile. Seeing that the almighty power of glaring wasn't working, she decided to take another approach.

"Only old witches ride brooms."

Elinee frowned. She wasn't sure if that shot was aimed at her or not, but she sure felt it anyway. "If you're going to be **my** apprentice, then you're going to learn how to ride a broom!"

"But that's so cliché!" Eliza complained. "And is it even safe with mana in the state that it is?"

Elinee pointed the broomstick towards the chairs. "This broom is enchanted, like those chairs. The disappearance of mana did not dispel the enchantment, so it's still safe to ride. Besides, it takes both the broom and the rider to fly it effectively. As we saw from your little display earlier, you're more than capable enough to manipulate mana with your body."

Eliza sighed. Her aunt had her in a corner and wasn't going to let her out. "Alright," she said definitively, taking the broom from Elinee's grasp. "What do I have to do?"

"It's quite easy. Kick your leg over the side and you should feel the weightlessness of the broom."

Eliza complied and soon found that her aunt wasn't exaggerating. The broom felt lighter than air. In fact, it felt like it was pulling _her_ off of the ground, causing her to push down just to keep her heels on the floor.

"When you feel comfortable with the broom, just stop fighting it."

After about a moment's adjustment, she stopped pushing against the broom. It indeed pulled her into the air, letting her feet dangle just a foot over the floor.

"Don't let the broom fly you," Elinee said, noticing the slight panic appearing on Eliza's face.

Gripping the broomstick tightly, Eliza felt more in control. "So how do I fly this thing?"

"You will it."

"...will it?" Eliza asked. Elinee nodded.

"You are in control. Remember that."

The apprentice witch smirked. '_Fly, broom!_' she thought, leaning forward. And it obeyed.

It took Elinee a moment to realize what had happened. The broom took off at speeds dangerous for inside flight, sending Eliza shooting right out of the open door. All that the young witch could see was a blue wall heading towards her at incomprehensible speeds. She leaned heavily to the right and the broom mimicked her actions, making a 90-degree turn down a hallway.

She was in the library, a long hallway lined on both walls with bookshelves filled to the brim with books nearly centuries old. Eliza felt herself losing control and brushed up against the left side of the hall, knocking some books from their nestled resting place and onto the floor.

Eliza noticed that she was reaching the end of the library and a mental layout of the castle flashed in her head from memory. Up ahead was another hallway as the path only got narrower, and the only thing of significance there was Elinee's study and Spikey's old lair, none of which were ideal places to be for a novice broomrider.

Thinking to stop the broom in its tracks, Eliza reared back hard, pulling the broomstick back with her, only for it to loop in the air and head in the opposite direction. Eliza shrieked when she realized that the sky became the floor and that her head was only inches away from hitting it, so she latched onto the broom as tightly as she could, finally noticing that her hat had been lost much earlier in the flight.

The broom was retracing ground by passing back through the library, but without Eliza's guidance it began to spiral out of control, sending Eliza back into the room from which she originally launched, depositing her onto the old desk. The flailing limbs of her rolling body kicked the clock onto the cold, hard floor. She soon joined it, lying flat on her back next to it.

Elinee quickly shuffled over to her fallen niece, picking up the broken clock and realizing that it was a lost cause. "This thing did stop working ages ago..."

"...That's all!" Eliza hollered in disbelief, still sprawled out along the floor.

"...I could get a new clock if it's that important. But I think we should wait until tomorrow to continue with the broomriding." Elinee casually strolled away and out of the room, giving Eliza a clear view of her audience. The three chairs were kicking away hysterically; a motion that would have been mistaken for agitation any other time had Eliza not known better. No, they were, in their own strange way, laughing at her.

She rolled her eyes.

* * *

Two bodies cut through a wall of foliage with sheer force, their speed unhindered by the habit. The two were led by extraordinary senses, which came in handy in the dark, dank Haunted Forest. The leader stood out more in the darkness than his unexpected partner.

There was a cry from behind, "Wait up!"

The leader stopped along an open pathway, allowing what little light there was penetrating the forest to shine on his figure, revealing him to be a werewolf. The streaks of light worked to brighten his golden fur. A younger, smaller werewolf came to a halt behind him, breathing heavily. His dark blue fur kept him well hidden as he stood outside of the sun's reach.

"You're going too fast!" he whined.

The older wolf cocked his head around, delivering an annoyed expression. "I don't remember asking you to come along."

"Well it was either that or I stay behind and do absolutely nothing...again," the younger wolf said, miffed by the situation.

"Couldn't you have found someone else to latch onto?" The wolf shook his head. "I don't need help scouting the area. You're going to hold me back." He was on the move again, and noticed his unwanted companion attempting to keep up.

"I have half a mind to leave you behind," he muttered under his breath.

"You know my pops wouldn't like that, Larso!" That struck a nerve and they came to a halt again, this time in a much more condensed area of the forest.

"You know what else your father wouldn't like, Garr?" Larso approached the smaller wolf, attempting to use his build as a subconscious form of intimidation. "He wouldn't like the fact that you're out here. And if anything happens to you, I better not get blamed for it!"

"I don't see the point in scouting this area anyway. We've been through this forest countless times in the past few years. Nothing happened then and nothing is going to happen now," Garr said, walking near a rocky wall and leaning against it. "So what could happen to me?"

In tandem with the end of his sentence, a green vine with a large bulb at its end slithered around the young wolf's leg before squeezing tightly, garnering a startled yelp.

"What the heck is this thing!" He cried, tugging his leg away in a futile effort.

"You fool, get away from it!" Larso snarled.

"I'm trying!" His fear was starting to take over, and reached new heights when he realized that the bulb of the plant was starting to open, only to reveal that it wasn't a plant at all. The 'bulb' was really an eyeball, and made direct eye contact, filling the wolf with fear and confusion when he noticed the iris had started to glow.

There was a blur of movement that ended with a squishing sound. Larso had swiftly kicked the monster, sending it recoiling. It was just enough for Garr to pull himself free, perhaps too hard, as he stumbled backwards and into Larso, landing atop him in a patch of thorny bushes.

Realizing his mistake, Garr attempted to help Larso up but was pushed away by the older wolf.

"We need to get back to the others!" Larso said, managing to subdue his anger. He led the way back just as the monster was recovering, though it following them was unlikely due to its condition of being rooted into the ground.

The trip was one of the most terrifying Garr had ever experienced. The entire way back was filled with paranoid occurrences in his mind of a sudden ambush by more of those eyeball monsters, entrapping him by the legs for whatever malicious ritual they performed on their prey. It also didn't help that Larso was faster than him, and apparently running at full speed. Thankfully his golden fur was easy to spot even in the darkness of the forest.

They finally reached a small clearing near the outskirts of the Haunted Forest with a gathering of wolves near a fire. Despite the time of day, it was still perpetually dark in these cursed woods.

Larso was the first to arrive, and whether he wanted to or not, had come in direct contact with the leader of the pack of wolves. Said leader's dark blue fur was graying with age, and a patch covered his left eye; an old lifelong wound few to none knew the story behind. His body, while aging, was still quite capable, moreso than the younger wolves that surrounded him.

"Larso, what did you have to report?" His expression was stern.

Larso opened his maw to recount what happened, but fell silent when he heard the younger wolf finally catch up. Garr started complaining once again now that he felt that he was in a comfortable position to do so.

"I told you before that you're too fast..." He froze in his tracks. "Uhh, hey."

The leader's expression didn't change, though he did fold his arms in light of this new revelation. His eye cut from Larso to Garr, and back to Larso again. Neither one would make eye contact or speak, so he took matters into his own hands.

"Larso...why did you take Garr with you?"

"I didn't take him, he followed me!" Larso sputtered quickly. "And he wouldn't go back!"

"...So did anything happen on this trip?" He asked solemnly.

"There was a monster...in the woods. It almost got Garr," Larso informed him. "But I saved him," he added, seeing the change in mood.

The wolf turned his sight back to Garr. The boy had already prepared his defense. "Look, Pops, you never let me go anywhere or do anything!"

"And this is exactly why you're not allowed to scout!" He barked in a display of anger. "What if Larso wasn't there to save you!"

"Graw, it was one of those eye monsters," Larso said, bringing attention to himself once again.

"And there was only one?"

"Yeah," he replied. "Since we know the monster problem is happening here too, what are we going to do?"

"We're going to stay here," Graw said flatly. "I'll discuss it with the rest of the pack later." With a hand gesture, he dismissed Larso from his company. The wolf was happy to get away, and quickly retreated to the fire where the rest of the wolves sat. He felt bad, but he left Garr alone to suffer the complete and undivided attention of an angry father.

Garr, expecting his father to come down on him hard this time, had a change of strategy. He looked defiantly at Graw. He was going to win the argument for once.

"You know, if you'd let me do things around here like everybody else, this wouldn't have happened." Garr smirked, sure that putting the blame on his father would do the trick.

"You're not old enough yet."

Garr frowned. "I'm fifteen! The other guys told me stories about how they started scouting when they were **eight years old!**"

"You're not the other guys."

Garr was frustrated now. He was used to getting into yelling matches with his father as of late, but it seemed that he wasn't the only one adopting a new strategy. "So when do you think I'll be ready?"

"When you show that you're ready," Graw stated.

Garr sighed. "Can you stop giving me one sentence answers?"

"No."

"...Please?"

"Look, Garr. You're not ready. And to prove my point, you went along with Larso when you knew you weren't supposed to. A foolish act like that does not contribute to the welfare of the pack. If you continue to act so recklessly, you might hurt someone else other than Larso next time."

Garr's jaw dropped. "How did you...?"

"I knew he wasn't telling me the full story," Graw continued. "I don't know why he tried to hide it from me. It's a little obvious that something happened considering that he had thorn needles sticking out of his fur. Most likely related to your clumsiness."

Garr's ears sagged and his eyes narrowed at that comment. "I...I'm not that clumsy..."

Graw chuckled and threw an arm around his son. "I know how much you want to participate, Garr. You bug me about it everyday. But you need to understand that part of the reason why you aren't very active with the jobs needed to be done around here is because of your current mindset and behavior. Which is why you're punished for the next week."

"What!"

"You want to participate? You're in charge of watching and carrying all supplies we've acquired from the human villages."

"But...!"

"I know," Graw said, raising a hand to silence Garr. "Our human policy. I don't like the idea much myself but with the increasing monster reports, I'm not willing to take the chance as leader of this pack."

That wasn't what Garr had on his mind, but he could do nothing but pout; Graw had spoken. Since he had turned to leave, the discussion had ended there. A few minutes passed and Garr didn't feel any better, so he decided to join some of the other wolves around the fire to cheer himself up. It was when he had arrived halfway to his destination that he actually began to pay attention to the conversation. Larso was recounting the scouting mission.

"...Everything was going smoothly until he started complaining," Larso said, leaning forward on the old, rotted log.

"Why'd ya even bother bringin' him with ya?" inquired a large, brown werewolf with a cocky smirk on his face. "Feelin' lonely, were ya?"

"I didn't bring him! He followed me!" Larso squealed, feeling like he was answering to Graw again. The wolves all had a haughty laugh at his reaction.

"Well I think it's cute that you were teaching Garr how to scout. He needs someone other than his father to look up to," a shewolf said.

"Of course _you_ would think that, Raslene," her mate, Jet, countered. His jet black fur gave him his namesake.

"Anyways," Larso interjected back into his own discussion, "like I said, things went to hell when he started complaining. It was only a few minutes later when an eye monster had him trapped."

"Eye monster? Those things don't even have limbs!" The brown wolf said, finding it hard to keep his amusement under control.

"Quiet, Musso," Jet whispered, catching the annoyed expression on Larso's face.

"The kid would have been monster food if I didn't step in," Larso stated with a proud grin, one of the few things he apparently liked to tell in his story.

"Judging by those thorns in your back, it looks like ya both got whipped around by this monster!" Musso blurted before bursting into laughter. He became the focus of disapproving looks.

"Musso, you're such a clown," another shewolf said curtly.

Larso grimaced as he pulled a lone thorn from his shoulder. "Garr knocked me into some bushes...and then he sat on me!"

Musso laughed even harder and nearly rolled off of the log. "The clumsiness of 'Lil Graw strikes again!" He sputtered through his laughing fit.

"Why do you call him that anyway?" Jet inquired from his corner. "He's nothing like his father and you know it."

"That's the point. He's like a smaller, less capable and less useful version of Graw," Musso said, an amused grin still plastered across his muzzle. "If I were pack leader, he wouldn't even be here anymore."

"Thank goodness you're not..." Larso muttered. The others silently agreed.

Garr spent most of the rest of the day in intentional isolation. It wasn't the first time. In fact, he found himself separating from the other wolves more often. He didn't like walking into those kinds of conversations. He could feel the animosity, which would often lead to arguments.

"I'm trapped..." he said to no one in particular. If he sat around doing nothing, all the wolves would hate him. If he tried to take on jobs, he'd strike a nerve with his father. To a teenage werewolf, it felt like all the world reacted negatively to his every move.

* * *

_**What do these two characters have to do with each other? At the moment, not much, but the wheel of fate dictates that their paths will cross in the next chapter.**_


	3. Chapter 3: Friends of Fall

**_The fated meeting between witch and wolf is finally upon us._**

* * *

**Chapter 3: Friends of Fall**

Eliza continued to practice with the broom for the rest of the week. She began to realize that she liked flying once she got the hang of it. At least, enough to fly indoors. It was near the end of the week that Elinee suggest that the training be taken a step further: they would practice outside of the castle.

"How high should I go?" Eliza asked casually, masking her excitement. She didn't want her aunt to catch wind of how much she enjoyed this new sport, especially after her initial hesitation to even try flying on the broomstick earlier that week.

"As high as you feel comfortable with," Elinee replied, handing the enchanted broom over to Eliza. Behind her were her companion trio of chairs. Their fascination with Eliza's training had originally been one to entertain themselves, but they eventually became genuinely interested in her progression. It was the most activity the castle had seen in years.

"Well," Eliza said, throwing a leg over the broom, "Here I go." She slowly rose into the air and circled the castle. She gradually began to rise in height as her confidence did, watching her audience shrink in size with every pass. Before she knew it, she was near the top of the castle's highest towers and realized just how tangible the cursed ceiling of the forest was.

With a new idea and the confidence to back it up, Eliza shot straight up and into the darkness of the forest sky. Weaving through gnarled branches of colossal trees and fog, she exited the forest and was greeted with a fresh blast of early autumn air and the orange sky illuminated by a setting sun. She hovered there for a few minutes, admiring a breathtaking sight like none other she had witnessed before.

"I think I'm really going to like it here..."

Eliza spent the last day of the week practicing the broom herself. Her facade was long dismantled by Elinee simply from the amount of time she was spending in the air. It was then that Eliza was stricken with the brilliant idea of exploring. Her days since she arrived at the castle had been mostly boring during the morning hours where she'd spend time looking for something to keep her occupied, which usually led to attempting to read the ancient books stockpiled throughout the castle. Afternoons were occupied by magic training with Elinee, and now that the broom was out of the way, they'd be moving on to bigger and better things (or so she hoped).

But now that Eliza had gotten the hang of flying, exploring outside of the castle during the day would be a lot easier and faster since she no longer had to go through the Haunted Forest, but _above_ it. The beginning of the next week marked the start of her quest to thoroughly explore all the Lower Lands had to offer. She wasted no time on the first day, leaving just as the sun was rising...which meant nothing to a forest shrouded in darkness and clouds, but everything to Eliza as she witnessed dawn from her seat above the forest.

A few minutes passed before the broom started to move again. With no particular destination in mind, she was free to go where she pleased...which ended up being Gaia's Navel. Eliza walked around aimlessly, taking in the beauty of the falls. The last time she had been there was almost ten years ago, and she didn't have the chance to explore for herself.

Finding that she was losing track of time, she continued onward with her exploration, following the path south of Gaia's Navel with her broom in hand this time. Coming to an intersection, she noticed the wooden posts that formed a gate leading to a small village. Feeling adventurous, she walked past the sign with a glance and stepped inside.

"Kippo Village, huh? Let's see what we have here..."

It was quite a small village. The smallest one she had ever been to, she figured. But it felt just right to her. There were only a few houses and scant few of them were occupied at the moment, for everyone was busy. The children played near a gathering of trees on the far end of the village while several women which she assumed to be their mothers were washing clothes in the small river that glided through the center of town. Waterwheels churned in the single river, each attached to a house or building placed strategically close to the water.

Eliza walked along the path of sparsely laid white cobblestones, which led her past Kippo's inn and across a small bridge that led over the river. She had only taken a few more steps when a young girl, who had broken away from the group of children, approached her.

"Hi, miss!" She greeted happily, hiding her arms behind her green dress. She absently swiveled the tip of a foot atop a cobblestone. "I haven't seen you around here before."

Eliza leaned forward with a smile. "Hello little girl, I'm Eliza. This is my first time here."

"Hi, I'm Natalie! I think your dress is pretty," the girl said before hiding her face behind her long brown locks.

"Thanks. I like your dress too," Eliza replied. She began coaxing Natalie out of her shell, "what do you do here?"

"My dad runs a shop! Sometimes I help him out with my older sister." The playful cries of children enjoying themselves echoed through the village, catching her attention. "But I mostly like to play with my friends. Do you want to meet them?"

Before Eliza could answer, Natalie called out to the group of children. Noticing the visitor for the first time themselves, the assortment of young boys and girls scurried over. Eliza soon found herself surrounded by curious, talkative children.

"Where are you from, lady?" One of the boys asked.

"What's the broom for?" Another question was thrown her way.

"Can I try on your hat?"

"Hey, wait a minute!" Eliza wailed in confusion, feeling crushed by the surrounding children. She needed something to get their attention all at once.

With a sly grin, she said, "Do you wanna see a magic trick?"

That got their attention.

"But Papa said mana's gone!" A boy announced anxiously.

"That was true...for awhile," Eliza said, holding out her palm for all to see. She concentrated, both on her connection with mana and that very moment days ago when she performed a similar feat for her aunt.

There was a slight buzzing sound before a small globe of electricity danced in Eliza's palm, soliciting a chorus of 'oohs' and 'aahs' from the children. This prompted one of the adults to exit a shop to see what was going on. Losing concentration, Eliza let the globe fizzle into a spark before going out completely.

"May I help you, miss?" a middle aged man asked. The little girl, Natalie, ran to him before hugging his legs and the apron. The logo, which matched the one hanging over the shop's door immediately told Eliza that he was the owner.

"Daddy, she knows magic!" Natalie said excitedly.

"Oh really?" He said curiously.

"I was just checking out the town. I'm new here," Eliza remarked.

"You must have traveled a long way. There aren't any other towns around here besides Pandora," Natalie's father said. "Is that where you're staying?"

"Oh, no. I moved in with my aunt in the Hau-" Eliza stopped mid-sentence.

_'Er, this town is quite small and homely...you don't want to go upsetting the people by telling them that you live in an ancient castle in a cursed forest with a formerly evil witch for an aunt,'_ she thought to herself.

"She lives a little up north by herself," she finally said, garnering a suspicious look from Natalie's father.

"Well it seems the children have taken a liking to you. Come to my shop," he invited her with a warm smile. "Perhaps Natalie and I can show around the entire village later on."

Eventually, Eliza was given the Kippo tour, which didn't take long at all. Meeting all of the people was a strange experience for her. The village was small but tightly knit in all aspects. It was a direct contrast to the large and empty castle in the Haunted Forest. She found herself stricken by the homely village; a change of heart from her original impression. It was a community she had secretly longed for but never experienced firsthand, for it seemed large fortresses away from civilization were a trademark style of living for her family.

"Hey, you'll show us some more magic tricks, right?" Natalie pried, nudging Eliza.

"Sure, as soon as I think of some more to show you guys." She let out a peaceful sigh and looked into the sky. "Wait, what time is it?"

"Looks like it's past noon," replied Russell, Natalie's father.

"Oh, shoot! I better head back. I didn't exactly tell my aunt that I'd be off exploring, so she's probably wondering what happened to me by now!" Eliza grasped the broom firmly and headed for the village gates.

"You'll come back to see us again, won't you Eliza?" Natalie called.

Eliza called back, "Absolutely! Maybe even tomorrow!"

She waited until she was near Gaia's Navel again before hopping onto the broom and shooting into the skies above. She flew over the Haunted Forest, diving into the patch of trees that covered what they could of Elinee's Castle. This was an ideal path since the branches were much thinner here than at any other part of the forest.

Landing in the castle courtyard, she walked at a hurried pace through the double door entrance. She set the broom off near the wall before calling out, "Aunt Elinee!"

"Eliza! Where have you been?" The old woman inquired as she rounded a corner leading to the foyer.

"I went exploring and made a stop at Kippo Village."

"Judging by that lingering smile, it seems that you enjoyed your visit," Elinee remarked.

Eliza's smile broadened. "Maybe I did."

"Come. It's almost time to start your lessons again." Elinee led the way back into the castle depths.

"Oh!" Eliza piped. "Now that I've learned how to ride the broom, what's next?"

"You seem naturally adept with manipulating neutral mana. Let's work with that."

* * *

"Garr, you're moving too slow!" Graw cried out to the far back of the pack where his only son lingered behind.

Garr suppressed every urge to complain. He hated the job but knew he had to prove himself to everyone, especially his father. Failure to go through with his punishment would not only disappoint them but himself.

With newfound energy, he gripped the large sack on his back much tighter and began to pick up the pace. But it seemed that no matter how fast he moved, the rest of the pack was just a little bit faster.

A devious smirk crept along Musso's face, and he began to slow down until he was near Garr. "Come on 'Lil Graw, you don't want to get left behind, do you?" he teased.

"Get off my back, Musso," Garr growled.

"Judging by how much trouble you're having with just that bag, you'd probably collapse if _I_ were on your back." The brown werewolf had a haughty laugh at his own words and a pleased grin before leaving Garr behind. The younger wolf could only roll his eyes.

Jet stopped and sniffed the air. "...do you smell that?" The others mimicked his action.

"A storm's coming. Feels like it's going to be pretty bad too," Graw remarked. "We're going to stop soon. Some of the monsters in this forest get a little too bold for their own good when the weather's bad."

"Finally..." Garr muttered in relief.

* * *

The forest seemed extra dark this morning, though Eliza didn't pay too much attention. Dark was dark in the Haunted Forest. She was particularly excited about going back to Kippo and seeing the other children and wanted to show them more magic.

When she set off into the skies above the castle, she finally realized why it seemed so dark. Ominous gray clouds were gathering in the sky, signaling the approach of a storm.

_'Didn't the Lower Lands just get hit by a storm a week or two ago?'_ Eliza thought. "Oh well, I'll just have to get back from the village before it starts."

By the time Eliza reached Kippo, strong winds already started to pick up. Entering through the wooden gates, she found Kippo to be completely transformed from yesterday. The village was nearly deserted; no children playing, no women washing, and no men to greet her. The entire atmosphere changed. What happened?

"Eliza! You came back to see us!" She heard the familiar voice of Natalie call to from an open window of her father's shop, which doubled as their home.

"Natalie, what's going on? Where's everybody?"

Russell appeared behind his daughter. "I'm sorry you came all this way Miss Eliza. Looks like a storm's comin' and everyone's preparing for the worst."

Eliza raised a brow. "Is it really going to be that bad?"

"You never know around here," Russel said, raising his voice to compete with the wind and the flapping shutters on the window. "It was nearly ten years ago when we had a storm so bad, it nearly flooded Gaia's Navel out. Could happen again."

"Wow, I never knew that," Eliza replied, shifting the broomstick from one arm to the other. "I guess I'll just go back home then."

"It's probably best if you stay here before the rain starts," Russel insisted.

"Yeah! Stay with us Eliza! Pleeeaaase?" Natalie added, clasping her hands together.

It was hard, but Eliza still had to turn them down. "Thanks but sorry guys. I don't want to leave my aunt all alone in this mess if it's as bad as you think it'll be."

"Aww!" Natalie pouted.

The low rumble of thunder was the rain's cue to start. And it _poured_. Eliza shrieked from the sudden cold of the raindrops that slammed against her. She latched onto the hat atop her head tightly with one arm as she took off out of the village with a wave to Natalie and Russell, any words she could have said drowned out by the downpour.

This time, she barely waited to get out of the village before hopping onto her broom. It was when a gust of wind hit her that she realized that Elinee didn't exactly teach her how to fly in extreme weather conditions. She would just have to learn on her own.

* * *

Garr let the bag slide to the ground and sat next to it, wheezing. They had finally stopped in a small clearing somewhere deep in the Haunted Forest, though his father was always on alert. Graw approached a few of the wolves and spoke with them until he finally made his way over to his son.

"Not bad, Garr," he said, looking down upon his son. "...do you want to help the others keep a lookout?"

Garr's ears perked up as he quickly looked his father directly into that one, overbearing eye of his. "What!"

"Well if you don't want to..."

Garr leaped up from his spot. "Wait, NO! I mean, YES! If you're serious, that is."

Graw chuckled. "I'm completely serious." Lightning flashed above and Graw's expression changed in that instant.

Silhouettes.

Countless silhouettes.

"AMBUSH!" he roared over the grumble of thunder. And the attack began with a single arrow landing between father and son. The rodent-like hooded creatures known as Chobins revealed themselves and prepared a barrage of arrows just as the wolves retaliated.

* * *

The learning went terribly.

Eliza cried out as the broom was whipped back and forth by the wind. The rain obscured her vision and she could only steer with one hand as the other was occupied with attempting to keep the hat atop her head. A flash of lightning startled her, and she made the sudden decision to fly down into the Haunted Forest where the thick trees would provide her with some relief. Unfortunately, her plan did not include being sent plummeting through the heavy branches by the force of the storm.

She rotated through the air before flipping onto the ground. The broom landed next to her, damaged but unbroken. She thought she heard a commotion deep within the forest. Perhaps even a fight. She attempted to listen until a flash of lightning prompted her to jump to her feet and the explosion of thunder made any further eavesdropping impossible.

"That's it. I'm just going to go back to the castle..." she murmured.

Along the walk, she heard the commotion again, and began to get the sinking feeling that she was walking right into the fray. Or maybe it was catching up with her instead?

Lost in thought, Eliza was oblivious to the small creature watching her until she heard its malevolent snicker. She quickly turned to find a Chobin with its bow already drawn, the smirk under its hood making its intent loud and clear.

"WATCH OUT!"

Eliza was tackled to the ground just as an arrow whizzed towards her. She was shocked to find that she was completely unharmed, but more shocked by her savior: a young, blue werewolf. Though he had saved her, the deed was not without its price. He was currently attempting to attend to the arrow embedded into his right leg.

The Chobin wasted no time taking advantage of the situation, preparing another arrow and aiming towards the wolf. Eliza reacted instantly, throwing her palm forward, producing an invisible force that burst forth. It slammed into the Chobin, sending it reeling through the trees and into the darkness of the forest. With that problem dispatched, she quickly scrambled over to the wolf, whom was breathing heavily.

"Are you okay?" she asked softly.

"Do I look okay!" he snapped.

Eliza barely resisted rolling her eyes. "...we need to get you help. All right?"

"I don't need any help, especially from a _human girl!_"

This time she couldn't help herself. "Well, you saved me and I didn't have a problem with it. So why don't you let me help you?"

"_I said I don't need your help!_" The wolf shouted in defiance. And as to prove his point, he clasped the arrow and tore it from his flesh, garnering an agonizing howl that sent chills through Eliza. He was in so much pain that he barely registered that she had taken the pink ribbon from her hat and began tying it around the wound.

"What...?"

"Do you want to die?" Eliza asked sternly. The wolf didn't respond. "I live in the castle with my aunt. It's not that far from here."

"But I have to help my father...and the other wolves! I need to fight!"

She finished wrapping the wound. "Do you know where they are?"

"No...but I still need to find them...and help..." he trailed off.

"Then we're going to the castle," she said, helping the wolf up.

"No!" he protested, fighting against Eliza's grip. "I can't let them down!"

"Even if you did find them, you can't fight like this! You'd be an easy target for those Chobins!" Eliza argued. "So stop being a fool and come back to the castle with me! We can heal you!"

The wolf began to cave, his stubbornness being eaten away more from the pain racking his leg and body than by Eliza's words. He silently nodded and they began heading in the opposite direction as rain poured off of the tree branches above.

"Garr..."

"What?"

"My name. It's Garr McGraw."

* * *

The castle doors were flung open. Garr limped with help from Eliza through the foyer and into a small room connecting it to the rest of the castle. She led him over to a chair but stopped him before he could sit.

"Not this one," she said, "the other one."

Garr was puzzled but limped to the next chair anyway. When the chair he was originally going to sit on came to life and galloped away, he almost jumped out of the seat.

"Don't worry. I'm going to get some supplies and help!" Eliza's heels clicked rapidly as she rushed out of the room and nearly went careening into her aunt.

"Eliza?" Elinee asked, noticing a distinct smell in the air. "What's that smelling like wet dog?"

"Perhaps the wet dog in the next room?" Eliza smirked at Elinee's puzzled face and began to explain. "There was a werewolf that saved me in the forest but he got hurt in the process. I brought him here to help him."

"Eliza!"

"What?" Eliza whined. "Auntie, he saved me!"

"You know some of those wolves are dangerous. Are you sure it's safe? Some aren't particularly fond of us."

"He's pretty stubborn but I don't think he hates us. And besides, if he did hate me, he's going to love me after I heal him up!" Eliza sang as she shuffled down the hallway. She stopped in her tracks. "Oh...where's the candy? Actually, we may need chocolate too!"

* * *

"I'm not eating that!" Garr protested. "I don't know what's really in it! That's human food!"

"It's _everybody's_ food. Anyone can eat it!" Eliza clamored. "Good grief, you can buy this stuff at any village!"

"I'm a werewolf. I don't exactly stroll into local villages to do my shopping!"

"You should! This candy has magical properties that heals wounds."

Garr gave Eliza a suspicious look. "...So this is something you brewed up in a cauldron?"

"No, I said it came from a shop. And I don't brew things in cauldrons, though my Aunt may from time to time."

Garr gave Eliza one final glance before unwrapping the candy. He examined the round treat a bit before dropping into onto his tongue. After a few seconds he could already feel the pain in his leg dulling.

"I think this stuff is really working!" he exclaimed, hopping out of the seat. Then he came crashing down.

Eliza ran to his side, "Hey, take it easy! You were hurt pretty bad so it's going to take the candy awhile to work all of its magic. I might have to give you more."

"You could have told me that sooner," Garr muttered. "I still need to help the pack."

"That's not possible in your condition," Elinee said, walking into the room. "You can barely stand."

"Garr, this is my aunt Elinee."

Garr gaped. "_You're_ Elinee?"

Elinee chuckled. "I see I still have a reputation even amongst the wolves. And my niece seems to be very concerned about you. You should listen to her." Garr sighed.

"Hey, I promise I'll help you find your family when you feel better," Eliza said. "But until then, you can stay here."

* * *

"So, it can still fly, right?" Eliza asked hopefully.

"Hmm..." Elinee examined the broomstick from every angle. It was splintered and cracked in several places. "It's not broken, but it is damaged. I can fix it, but I'd advise against trying to ride it before then."

"Bah...I'm grounded," Eliza pouted. Noticing the grin on her aunt's face, she quickly changed her tone, "not that it's such a bad thing. I won't get knocked out of the sky anymore or anything like that."

Elinee chuckled and went back to the beef stew she was cooking. "Is your friend hungry? The food is almost done."

"I dunno. I haven't checked on Garr for the past hour. I'll go see now." Eliza hopped out of the chair and began walking out of the kitchen when she shot a quick glare towards her aunt. "Wait a minute. What do you mean by **my** friend?"

Elinee did nothing but smile as Eliza left the room.

Eliza knocked on the door. "Garr, are you hungry?" She opened the door when there was no response to find the werewolf sitting on a bed, staring outside of the room's lone window.

"Didn't you give me enough of that candy already?" Garr said.

"Actually, my aunt's making stew." Eliza leaned forward and whispered, "in a cauldron." She smirked when Garr gave her a panicked look. "Ha, no. It's in a normal pot. But speaking of the candy...are you feeling better?"

"To tell you the truth...yeah." He stared down at the bedsheets. "I've heard about healing food like that candy, but I've never had any until today."

"Geez, do you guys live out in the woods all the time?"

"Actually, we do," Garr responded, slightly offended. "There's a policy in the pack. We don't use human tools unless in the case of extreme emergencies."

"That's dumb."

"No, it's NOT dumb!" Garr exploded. "We don't need human supplies! We do just fine by ourselves!"

"Okay, okay," Eliza replied weakly, raising her hands forward to calm Garr down. "Ignoring healing supplies because they're made by humans ISN'T dumb." Hearing it said aloud from that perspective began to lull Garr's temper, though he wouldn't admit it.

"Honestly, I can't imagine not using candy for healing. What did you guys use?" Eliza asked.

"Well, we used healing magic...before mana disappeared. I was pretty young when mana left, so I never learned how to use the spell. I've never seen my father use it, though I'm pretty sure he knows it. But you..."

"But I what?" Eliza asked, puzzled.

"Nevermind," Garr said. He took a deep breath, inhaling the delicious smell of Elinee's cooking. "You know, I think I am pretty hungry."

* * *

Two figures darted through the darkness, their movement undetectable by sound even if the rain hadn't been pouring. They both stopped on an empty path. The sight was contrary, as their heightened senses told an entire story most would not have picked up.

"It's definitely his blood," Graw muttered, kneeling next to the bloody arrow.

A black wolf was next to him, and took a few steps forward before kneeling down himself. "There's no blood trail. He must have patched himself up before leaving. And the storm is trying its best to wash away his scent..." Jet's analysis was followed by rustling and a small voice.

Graw growled, knowing exactly whom it belonged too. He then led the way through a patch of bushes to find a Chobin lying in front of a tree. There was no doubt in his mind that this creature was responsible for wounding his son.

"Guess it's still alive," Jet mumbled, nudging the Chobin with his foot. It began to stir until it realized two wolves were standing over it. It let out a shrill cry as Graw bought down his foot with a sickening crunch.

"Graw, where're you going?" Jet called as Graw headed in the opposite direction as quickly as possible.

"I'm not going to stop until I find my son!"

Jet had only seen Graw this upset and emotional over his family. He had always looked up to him as pack leader and felt that it was his turn to pay him back for all that he had done for the pack in his many years, by bringing him back to his senses as leader.

"Graw..." Jet started, approaching Graw cautiously, who still had his back turned to him. "You raised Garr well. He knows how to take care of himself, and as we can see, that arrow didn't stop him. But you said yourself that staying in this forest was dangerous with the monsters running about. We can't stay in here any longer without the risk of being ambushed again. You're our leader. Lead us out of here." He placed a hand on Graw's shoulder, and felt the tension being released.

"You're right," Graw muttered, turning to face Jet. "But I'm not giving up on Garr!"

"You don't have to. We just need to get out of here right now."

The two wolves dashed through the darkness.

* * *

"I'm sorry I yelled at you earlier," Garr apologized as he and Eliza entered the dining room. "I was still upset, being separated from my father and all."

"It's okay," Eliza said casually as she sat at the table, which had literally set itself. "I shouldn't have called your customs and policies dumb. It was a thoughtless comment."

_'But, they kinda are,'_ Garr thought while sitting across from Eliza, though he would never dare admit it aloud.

"I hope you're hungry!" Elinee announced as she entered with a pot of soup. She manually poured soup into the bowls, a rare feat she only performed when they had company.

Sitting down, she and Eliza began eating, and Garr quickly realized that he was out of place. He curiously watched them eat with the strange utensils. Finally, he attempted to fit in by scooping at the soup with one of the utensils himself, but found the small quantity of soup he could capture to be unsatisfying. He gave up and let habit take over. Leaning over the bowl, he began lapping the soup up, gaining the attention of the two women.

"Oh my, it seems Garr found his own way to enjoy dinner!" Elinee said with a warm smile.

'Dinner' wasn't quite what Garr would have called it. The meat was soggy, the vegetables were unappealing, and the spices made his tongue burn. He decided that witches were better off at brewing things in cauldrons than cooking dinner in pots, though he was thankful now that his growling stomach was quelled.

Since he was the first one finished, he leaned back in the chair and quickly found himself bored, and then restless when his mind wandered to the morning's events. His restlessness was starting to become noticeable when the chair began to rock.

Eliza had a knowing look about her face. "Garr, are you thinking about what happened again?"

"How can I not? I still don't know what happened to everybody!"

"There's nothing you can do at the moment," Elinee said sternly. Now that this wolf was in her home, she wasn't going to let him go out and do something stupid. "It's dark, it's raining hard, and there are monsters teeming all over the forest. You'd do better to wait out the storm."

Unfortunately for him, the storm lasted through the rest of the night. Early the next morning, he set off on the search. Eliza, keeping her promise, accompanied him. But they found nothing. Their daily search lasted for days, which rolled into weeks, which extended into the months of autumn. And soon, the lonely Witch's Castle was no longer occupying two for the coming months, but now three.

* * *

_**This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.**_

_**In the next chapter, Eliza seeks to learn more about Garr, and reveals a few things about herself in the process. The duo also discover one of the castle's secrets...a secret that can only lead to darkness and despair, both from the past and in the future.**_


End file.
